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‘Holland’ is bloody twisted springtime streamer
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‘Holland’ turns Americana idealism on its head.
The Contributor (https://thecontributor.org/tag/moving-pictures/page/3/)
‘Holland’ turns Americana idealism on its head.
Control Freak is a new Hulu movie that reminds me of The Substance, in a good way. The Substance recently got a lot of awards season attention for its gore-dripping explorations of the unnatural pursuit of physical perfection, and Control Freak brings a similar ironic horror tone to its cautionary tale about personal perfection. It takes aim at the self-help industrial complex and all those social media gurus who are “here to help” and this free app based on ancient Hermetic law. Valerie (Kelly Marie Tran) is a formerly homeless woman who’s become a world famous motivational speaker. She lives with her husband in a swanky house where she’s getting ready for a tour of Asia while she slowly comes unwound due to an unceasing itch on the back of her head.
It’s a movie that feels aimed at Tolkien enthusiasts, but also one that wants to be welcoming to newcomers.
Most Nashvillians will know filmmaker Lana Wilson for her Taylor Swift documentary, Miss Americana (2020). Wilson also directed the Brooke Shields documentary Pretty Baby (2023) as well as an examination of extremism and abortion in America (After Tiller, 2015), and a meditation on suicide in Japanese culture (The Departure, 2017). Wilson’s new movie, Look Into My Eyes reads like a blend of the filmmaker’s curiosities with interesting personalities and particular cultural trends. The movie was released by A24 in September and it’s now streaming on MAX. Look Into My Eyes is a mosaic portrait of a handful of psychic readers in New York City.
Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain is a buddy film, a road trip movie, a fish out of water story and an odd couple tale.
Is it weird to be writing about horror movies as we head into the New Year?
M. Night Shyamalan is having a moment on the small screen.
Here are my movie recommendations for this year’s scary celebrating: